Toh Thye San Farm, named for its founder Toh Thye San, began in 1979 as a small family farm and wholesaler located in Loyang, Singapore. Two generations later, Toh Thye San Farm remains a family-owned and family-operated business, now headquartered in Singapore with Certified Humane® broiler chicken farms located in Johor, Malaysia. “Toh Thye San is actually the name of my grandfather,” writes owner Kenny Toh. “Back then he started the farm in our own backyard with the whole family working hard on it. As it grew and age came on, he passed the baton to my father who, with the same family spirit and integrity, brought it to where it is today.”
As Toh Thye San Farm evolved, first as a farm and supplier to local markets in Singapore, and then again to meet environmental changes, Toh wanted to make sure that broiler chicken production continued to reflect the values upon which his family’s business was founded. “Certified Humane® is one of the names that came up on our radar immediately as it is an international certification with presence in the most countries and equipped with really strong animal welfare standards,” says Toh. “Both the Certified Humane® program and our philosophy are built on responsible and ethical farming, putting superior animal welfare and best practices as its core. We are the number 1 fans of our own produce and we have a conviction that ethical and responsible farming translates to the best tasting meats.”
Today, Toh Thye San Farm, and management company Gesing Group Sdn. Bhd, supply Certified Humane® chicken products to restaurants and food production facilities throughout Singapore. “We believe in going back to basics when it comes to farming, however we adopt modern technologies to help raise the quality of the product and also to reduce manpower requirements so that the products will be more consistent,” says Toh. “When you come to our farms, you will notice that the chickens would walk towards you and crowd around you. This actually translates to the chicken being really comfortable with humans because they have been really well taken care of by the farmers and that is something that we are really proud of.”
Certified Humane® chicken products from Toh Thye San Farm can be found in fine-dining restaurants throughout Singapore. “We are delighted to be serving the best restaurants in Singapore,” writes Toh. “This is a testament to our product quality and its suitability for every type of cuisine. Our customers are critically acclaimed and are recognized internationally with the receipt of awards such as Top 100 best in the world, of which we are proud to be supplying 2 out of the 3 inductees from Singapore.” For more information about Toh Thye San Farm products, visit their website at www.oeo.com.sg.
Granja Siete Hermanos, S.R.L – Crespo, Entre Ríos state, Argentina
The Granja Siete Hermanos S.R.L., located in the province of Entre Ríos in the City of Crespo, Argentina, is owned and operated by the Eberle brothers. Founded by Don Jorge Roberto Eberle in the 1960s with a few cage-free hens, the farm has been family-operated for more than three generations. Today, seven Eberle brothers work side-by-side managing the daily operations of the farm.
While the farm started cage-free in the 60s, it moved to battery cages in the 70s. “I still remember telling dad that we were going to move the laying hens to a barn and put them in battery cages,” says Hector Humberto Eberle, General Manager for Granja Siete Hermanos. “He told me that the chickens had to be free and that they were going to die locked up all day. I didn’t know how we were going to put so many chickens in a barn. We did, but my dad was right. It wasn’t a humane way to raise the birds.”
While many other farms in Argentina still operate with traditional pyramidal cages and battery cages, Granja Siete Hermanos is the first farm in Argentina to import a cage-free aviary system to meet Humane Farm Animal Care’s animal welfare standards for Certified Humane® laying hens.
“We learned about the Certified Humane® program through a client’s recommendation,” says Hector. “Once we learned about everything related to the welfare of the animals and that the guidelines were written by farm animal welfare experts, we decided to adopt their humane standards of care. We saw that you could respect animals, the environment and people while still being efficient in egg production.”
But Hector remembers being a little apprehensive when the new aviary system arrived. “The manufacturers told us that one of the biggest hurdles would occur at sunset when the laying hens would all be trying to find a place to sleep and none should be on the floor,” says Hector. “We were worried, but at sunset, we watched in amazement as every hen found a place to perch and sleep. It was unforgettable. We also worried that the hens would not use the nests to lay their eggs, but we were wrong. The hens wanted privacy, and they were very comfortable with these new nesting spaces.”
Hector says that once the farm implemented HFAC’s animal welfare standards and saw how easily the laying hens adapted to their new aviary, they knew they were making the right decision and trusted the Certified Humane® practices would contribute to the overall welfare of their laying hens.
“We can see the impact on the hens every day,” says Hector. “We are raising happy animals that are free to express their natural behaviors, like stretching their wings, scratching, perching and nesting. Our farm is proof that you can raise Certified Humane® laying hens and not impact production parameters.”
Hector says, “More and more news stories, books, films, and reports draw attention to how farm animals should be treated. As a result, consumers want products from animals that are humanely-raised. The Certified Humane ® label identifies our products for businesses and consumers looking for those products… Being Certified Humane® is good for our business, our animals and our customers.”
Tecnovo S.A. is a modern egg company that produces egg products for use in the food supply chain. It began as a production company in the main poultry basin in Crespo, Entre Ríos, Argentina, in 1995. Since then, it has become a leader in its sector providing processed egg products, like liquid whole egg, egg powder, liquid or powder albumin, and liquid or powdery yolk, for large food manufacturers throughout the world.
Tecnovo S.A. is committed to using Certified Humane® eggs to produce their liquid and powdered egg products, which are then sold to food manufacturing companies to be used in the production of foods such as mayonnaise, pasta, puddings, sweetbreads, pastries, and cookies. This means that Tecnovo S.A. only sources Certified Humane® eggs before moving them along in the supply chain to large food manufacturers.
“The Certified Humane® movement has had an enormous impact on the growth of global food chains, especially as they apply in Latin America,” says Luiz Mazzon, Director-General for Certified Humane® Latin America. “More and more companies are considering animal welfare when choosing their supplier of animal ingredients. The Certified Humane® program is innovative because it allows the use of the label even by companies that do not raise or handle animals directly, but are committed to using Certified Humane® products.” The philosophy of Tecnovo S.A. founders was to create a value chain that enhances the natural resources of the area, incorporating skilled labor and appropriate technology to enable it to access the food producers worldwide.
Tecnovo S.A. is the only company that joined the Global Compact in 2004 – an initiative of the United Nations (UN), which seeks to favor the development of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) worldwide, promoting a set of universal values that are considered essential to meet the needs of the world population.
Tecnovo S.A. also guarantees the quality of the products by working under GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) standards with food certification systems FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification) for continuous improvement of the food safety management system with the aim of ensuring the supply of safe food to consumers.
Liang Kee Farming, like most traditional laying hen farms, had always used conventional caged systems to produce eggs. However, around three years ago, Tan Leng Yee, the businesses’ manager and a third generation family farmer, started to change the laying hen management system. A part of the farm, located in the city of Kampar, state of Perak, Malaysia, produces close to 300 thousand eggs per day. Here Tan began to adopt a free-range system with a small portion of the birds, raised without cages, in two houses on the farm. Laying hens have free access to an outside range for at least 6 hours per day depending on the weather conditions.This pilot production at Liang Kee Farming meets all the requirements for cage free free-range systems. Laying hens here are Free-range and receive a minimum outdoor space requirement of 0.19 sqm per bird (5.2 birds per sqm) to meet the Humane Farm Animal Care Standards.
Healthier and Happier Birds
“I started to explore the cage free system first as a personal experiment and for my own family’s consumption of eggs. School students came to visit our farm and I realized that their feedback was very positive in support of the Free-range system,” explains Tan. He also says that people tell him eggs are tastier and that the chickens seem to be healthier and happier in this kind of environment.
Like many other producers, Tan heard about the Certified Humane® label while researching egg production. He always wanted to differentiate his production from the traditional ones. That was when he realized that he needed to invest in quality regardless of the quantity. “We farmers see a lot of chemicals, antibiotics, and growth hormones being used to increase production at the lowest costs. I always told my children and relatives avoid this type of product. On my farm, we use the best feed ingredients for animals,” says Tan.
Liang Kee Farming Values Animal Welfare
Tan Leng Yee believes in the importance of animal welfare for his operation. “Like any other thing, if you treat the animals well, they will treat you well in return, “he says. For Tan, there are many benefits to investing in animal welfare such as higher quality food, preservation of the environment, and less use of unnecessary medications – such is the food supply chain. Additionally, the product has more added-value and the producer may establish a higher price for his product when animal welfare practices are in place. Everybody wins.
On the laying hen farm, employees receive proper training and Tan makes sure to guarantee that they are happy with their work. “This is the best ingredient to create animal welfare. Happy employees have happier attitudes… and the result is happier chickens.”
The pilot production at Liang Kee Farming is still small but it has a large growth potential. “I am happy to receive the Certified Humane label. HFAC is aligned with the philosophy of my company, since we both believe that animal welfare achieves larger production and profits. I am pretty sure that the eggs on my farm stand out among the rest,” concludes Tan.
First Light leading the charge on animal welfare: becomes first New Zealand meat company to earn Certified Humane® status
First Light has become the first New Zealand meat company to be awarded internationally recognised Certified Humane® accreditation, another milestone in the business’ continued commitment to animal welfare.
Certified Humane® is a recognised global animal welfare standard administered by Humane Farm Animal Care, the US’s leading non-profit certification organisation dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production, from birth to slaughter.
“The goal of the programme is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. We are encouraged that a New Zealand meat company is taking animal welfare seriously. The extreme need for improvement in farm animal welfare is a global challenge we at Certified Humane® are prepared to help address,” says Humane Farm Animal Care’s chief operating officer Mimi Stein.
“When consumers see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label, they are assured that the food product has come from a facility that meets precise standards for farm animal treatment, including the quality of feed, the absence of sub-therapeutic antibiotics or growth hormones and environmental considerations such as the animal never being kept in a cage, crate or stall. Additionally, the processors must comply with the American Meat Institute standards, a slaughter standard written by world renown scientist Dr Temple Grandin,” she adds.
For First Light, the certification is another step in ensuring animal welfare remains its priority across the entire grass-fed Wagyu supply chain, from breeding to processing.
“We have always prided ourselves on not cutting corners and doing things right. We decided to align with Certified Humane® because we wanted a peer review of our animal husbandry standards. We also like the fact that it is grounded in care for the animal, while recognising the practical aspects of life on the farm,” says First Light director Jason Ross.
“It is also essential to have accreditation to supply major US customers and also for our retail consumers. The benefit for consumers is that they can buy with confidence, knowing the meat, poultry, egg and dairy products come from animals who have been raised humanely without overcrowding in confinement systems and without unnecessary antibiotics. It’s better for the animals, the environment and the farmers who receive a fair price for their efforts.”
To earn Certified Humane® status, an audit was conducted on a selection of First Light farms and processing facilities across the country. To uphold the standards, annual inspections will be held by specialist scientists and veterinarians.
NestFresh was started as a family company with local farms in Colorado. The family wanted to create an egg company focused on animal welfare and environmental sustainability. They believed that treating animals humanely would benefit both hens and humans.
In the early years, NestFresh Eggs were produced and sold exclusively in Colorado, but soon they became Colorado’s favorite eggs, so they set out to offer their eggs across the country. They wanted to spread the NestFresh mission of providing more people with locally produced eggs and more hens with happy cage free lives. To do so, they partnered with regional, family-owned farms to produce and supply farm fresh NestFresh Eggs in a local system.
Now NestFresh produces Certified Humane®, USDA Organic, and Non-GMO Project verified eggs at family farms all over the country—from California to Texas to Pennsylvania. Each family farm in the NestFresh network is a business that shares NestFresh’s commitment to animal welfare and stewardship of the land. This network of family farms benefits farmers, communities, and the environment. The farms are able to provide jobs within local communities, support other local businesses, and reduce their impact on the environment.
The Certified Humane® logo that NestFresh proudly bears ensures that each farm meets the same high standards for laying hen welfare. These farmers give their birds the healthy, humane lives they deserve.
NestFresh is part of the Certified Humane program because they believe that the statements on their cartons are more than empty marketing claims. NestFresh relies on experts to validate the humane aspects of their animal husbandry practices. Their products include Cage Free, Free Range, and Pasture Raised Eggs.
For more information about NestFresh farms and products as well as recipes visit www.NestFresh.com.
Nature’s Yoke Organic, Legacy, and Omega-3 Free-Range eggs are 100% Certified Humane® and produced by a four-generation, family-run business which began in 1963 and is located in New Holland, Pa. With the mission of supporting local farmers and investing in the local community, Nature’s Yoke is committed to sustainable farming, the ethical treatment of animals, and good stewardship and innovation.
nature’s yoke Legacy Free-range eggs:
Nature’s Yoke Legacy Free-Range hens are raised on Certified Humane® family farms, which means there are no cages and the hens have access to outdoor spaces for at least 6 hours per day. Except, of course, when it’s very cold or very hot outside. When hens are indoors, they get the extra special care that Certified Humane® requires including roomy nesting boxes, places to perch, dust-bathe, and no overcrowding. These days, more and more consumers are aware of how hens are raised at conventional farms, and, as a result, have decided to buy only free-range eggs. These consumers have made it clear they care about the humane treatment of animals but they also need to balance how much they spend on eggs against other things their family needs. Nature’s Yoke Legacy Free-Range Eggs provide that balance because the hens that are lovingly cared for and meet all the requirements of Certified Humane® — without the extra cost of pasture-raised or organic.
nature’s yoke Organic free-range eggs:
Nature’s Yoke Organic Free-Range Eggs are USDA Certified Organic. Raised on small family farms with lots of space to roam, organic free-range hens are fed an all-organic, non-GMO diet. Additionally, Nature’s Yoke organic free-range farms are Certified Humane® so both the hens and the organic free-range brown eggs they lay are cared for at the highest standard.
NAture’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs:
All eggs contain some Omega-3, but Nature’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs give you and your family even more of the Omega-3 benefits doctors and other health and wellness professionals have been talking about for decades. Just like Nature’s Yoke Legacy and Organic eggs, their Omega-3 Free-Range hens live on Certified Humane® family farms where they have access to outdoor range areas for at least 6 hours per day, weather permitting, and are able to engage in natural behaviors at all times. Simply put, Nature’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs are an easy and delicious way to get more Omega-3 into your diet.
La Granja Gallinas Libres now is Certified Humane®
Champion Group, through their subsidiaries Avicola Andina S.p.A and La Granja S.A., is one of the largest Chilean producers of Certified Humane® cage-free eggs. They are sold under La Granja Gallinas Libres brand.
As part of its philosophy, the company is dedicated to a high ethical standard of egg production and animal welfare observance as well as compliance with sanitary requirements, biosecurity and food safety regulations. “We want to reinforce to our customers and consumers our commitment to sustainable and responsible egg production,” the company says.
When founded almost 80 years ago, the company produced feed for farm animals. Forty years later, they expanded their operations to produce eggs. Moreover, they were the first farm in Chile to import specific genetic lines of laying hens for egg production.
In 2006, the Group acquired La Granja Ltda., a company exclusively dedicated to the production, processing and commercialization of eggs and egg products. In 2013, due to changes in the poultry industry, specifically related to production systems, it decided to be a pioneer in the production and marketing of eggs coming from these cage-free alternative systems. Adopting this alternative cage-free housing meant their laying hens could engage in their natural behaviors, like flapping their wings and perching, in a comfortable and protected environment. In new state-of-the-art aviaries equipped with automated collection systems, modern climate controls for optimum ventilation and thermal protection, Certified Humane® standards are easily met which improve the lives and comfort of the birds.
Motivated by the growing demand for food produced in a sustainable and animal welfare responsible way, the company started marketing its first cage-free eggs under the brand “La Granja Gallinas Libres” (LGGL) in 2013.
In 2018, La Granja joined the Certified Humane® program to show consumers their deep commitment to farm animal welfare and mission to provide a sustainable, responsible and humane environment for their laying hens .
“They understood that consumers drive this market and are demanding that eggs come from cage-free hens,” says Luiz Mazzon, Director of Instituto Certified Humane Brasil. “While La Granja adopted the cage-free system several years ago, it will be the Certified Humane® label on their egg cartons that will give consumers the reassurances that all aspects of the hen’s care, from housing and feeding to light and air quality, are being met every day on their farms.”
La Granja provides on-going and frequent staff training on care for the birds which has resulted in generating a bond between the laying hens and the workers. The company believes the welfare of their workers, their birds and the environment are all fundamental. Their mission is to maintain sustainable production, respect health standards, while utilizing the best cage-free systems available in the industry.
La Granja Gallinas Libres is available in four main supermarket chains with the broad coverage nationwide. They also are meeting the growing interest of food manufacturers who wish to use cage-free eggs as an ingredient in other egg products.
Avícola Coliumo raises 30,000 Certified Humane® hens on a 1,300 hectare egg farm in San Carlos, Chillán, Chile. The farm got its start in 1962 by Don Patrico Reyes, the father of the current owner, Felipe Reyes. Reyes remembers the early days, working alongside his dad and taking care of their 100-bird flock.
“I’ve always helped with the different tasks involved on the farm, especially during the rearing of the pullets,” he says.
At 24, Reyes took over some of the farm’s management, which had grown from 100 to 15,000 hens. “In the beginning, we had the help of local workers, many of whom still work with us today,” says Reyes. “Little by little, we automated our system to improve the quality of care for the hens.”
Over the years, Avícola Coliumo has set the standard in Chile for implementing state-of-the-art technology in all stages of the egg-laying process, from sowing grains and feeding the hens to selecting and packaging eggs that are distributed from the Santiago Metropolitan area to the Lakes region.
Today, Reyes and his two daughters, Javiera and Antonia Reyes, are the third generation to operate the farm, along with 130 employees, many of who have been working on the farm since it was formed. Antonia, a veterinarian, wanted to see the hens free of their cages, so traveled to the U.S. and Europe to learn about the various multi-level cage-free aviary systems.
In 2018, she brought the new cage-free multi-level aviary system to Avícola Coliumo – the first such system in South America – to better provide for the hens’ natural behaviors. Some of the new additions included perches so the hens can roost, wood chip beds that allow the hens to dust bathe and scratch, and nests, which stimulate pre-laying and egg laying behaviors, Reyes says. The new line of cage-free eggs, called “La Castellana,” fits with the farm’s goal of providing a better quality of life for their hens.
“We believe that our birds deserve respectful treatment, since they are sentient beings just like us,” says Reyes. “When they cannot perform certain natural behaviors, they feel frustrated, which is detrimental to their welfare. By providing them with a cage-free aviary, we can support their natural behaviors.”
Once the cage-free aviary was in place, Reyes applied to Certified Humane® for certification. “I learned about Certified Humane® during a trip to the USA to learn about aviary systems,” says Reyes. “This organization has such great reach and relevance in the aviary industry in terms of animal welfare. When I read their Animal Care Standards, I realized they promoted animal welfare in an excellent way and gave us benchmarks, so we could properly manage our hens in a more humane way.”
In addition, the new aviary system ensures the excellent health for the hens, since it has manure belts that extract this by-product, creating a better environmental quality. The farm also feeds the cage-free hens a quality-feed diet, which consists of 60% maize that is planted and harvested on the farm. “We fertilize the crops with the manure the hens produce to obtain the best yields at the time of harvest,” says Reyes. “We call this our virtuous circle.”
Avícola Coliumo doesn’t just have the first multi-level aviary system in South America, but it also has solar panels, which supply 100% of the energy for the cage-free production. “We are measuring our carbon footprint and are the first laying hens farm in Chile to do so,” says Reyes.
The cage-free eggs will be sold in the HORECA channel: Hotels, Restaurants and Casinos, as well as at Walmart and other supermarket chains. For more information, visit www.huevoslacastellana.com.
Teton Waters Ranch produces 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, fully cooked beef products, including sausages, meatballs and frankfurters. Founded on a ranch in the Teton Valley of Idaho in 2009, and now based in Loveland, Colorado, Teton Waters Ranch has grown to become a leading brand of 100% grass-fed beef in the U.S.
Nearly fifteen years ago, Teton Waters Ranch founder, Jeff Russell, acquired land in Idaho that once held an industrial potato farm. With a passion for the west and environmental conservation, Russell set out to restore the farm’s depleted fields with regenerative cattle grazing to restore the soil. He planted native grasses and grazed those grasses with cattle that naturally fertilized the soil and created a system that is both sustainable and healthy.
Today, Teton Waters Ranch works with thousands of cattle ranches in the U.S. and around the world and is leading them to all become Certified Humane®. “We work at improving our company every day,” says Jeff Tripician, CEO at Teton Waters Ranch. “Certified Humane® is something we strongly believe in, so it’s important to us to work with ranches who share our belief that third party verification and rigorous protocols are incredibly valuable to everything we do and to our food system overall. Ultimately, the Certified Humane® program protocols, which are strongly aligned with the mission of Teton Waters Ranch, are what allow us to create the best tasting, highest quality, grass fed and finished beef available.”
“Together, Teton Waters Ranch and the Certified Humane® logo reassure our customers that our claims are indeed valid,” says Tripician. “Our philosophy and goal is to have a comprehensive grass fed beef solution that is better for people, better for the animals and better for the planet,” added Tripician, “and we can achieve that with programs like Certified Humane®.”
Teton Waters Ranch is working to increase availability of and consumer demand for grass-fed beef. Retail sales of grass-fed beef in the U.S. has doubled each year since 2013, growing at 101 percent per year, with Teton Waters Ranch leading growth in their product categories.
Teton Waters Ranch’s redesigned packaging boasts the Certified Humane® label, which means all ranches that supply beef to Teton Waters Ranch raise cattle and operate in accordance with Certified Humane® standards. For more information, please visit Teton Waters Ranch
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Posted: March 29, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Toh Thye San Farm in Singapore, Certified Humane® Chicken Products
As Toh Thye San Farm evolved, first as a farm and supplier to local markets in Singapore, and then again to meet environmental changes, Toh wanted to make sure that broiler chicken production continued to reflect the values upon which his family’s business was founded. “Certified Humane® is one of the names that came up on our radar immediately as it is an international certification with presence in the most countries and equipped with really strong animal welfare standards,” says Toh. “Both the Certified Humane® program and our philosophy are built on responsible and ethical farming, putting superior animal welfare and best practices as its core. We are the number 1 fans of our own produce and we have a conviction that ethical and responsible farming translates to the best tasting meats.”
Today, Toh Thye San Farm, and management company Gesing Group Sdn. Bhd, supply Certified Humane® chicken products to restaurants and
food production facilities throughout Singapore. “We believe in going back to basics when it comes to farming, however we adopt modern technologies to help raise the quality of the product and also to reduce manpower requirements so that the products will be more consistent,” says Toh. “When you come to our farms, you will notice that the chickens would walk towards you and crowd around you. This actually translates to the chicken being really comfortable with humans because they have been really well taken care of by the farmers and that is something that we are really proud of.”
Certified Humane® chicken products from Toh Thye San Farm can be found in fine-dining restaurants throughout Singapore. “We are delighted to be serving the best restaurants in Singapore,” writes Toh. “This is a testament to our product quality and its suitability for every type of cuisine. Our customers are critically acclaimed and are recognized internationally with the receipt of awards such as Top 100 best in the world, of which we are proud to be supplying 2 out of the 3 inductees from Singapore.” For more information about Toh Thye San Farm products, visit their website at www.oeo.com.sg.
Posted: March 4, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Granja Siete Hermanos
Granja Siete Hermanos, S.R.L – Crespo, Entre Ríos state, Argentina
While the farm started cage-free in the 60s, it moved to battery cages in the 70s. “I still remember telling dad that we were going to move the laying hens to a barn and put them in battery cages,” says Hector Humberto Eberle, General Manager for Granja Siete Hermanos. “He told me that the chickens had to be free and that they were going to die locked up all day. I didn’t know how we were going to put so many chickens in a barn. We did, but my dad was right. It wasn’t a humane way to raise the birds.”
While many other farms in Argentina still operate with traditional pyramidal cages and battery cages, Granja Siete Hermanos is the first farm in Argentina to import a cage-free aviary system to meet Humane Farm Animal Care’s animal welfare standards for Certified Humane® laying hens.
“We learned about the Certified Humane® program through a client’s recommendation,” says Hector. “Once we learned about everything related to the welfare of the animals and that the guidelines were written by farm animal welfare experts, we decided to adopt their humane standards of care. We saw that you could respect animals, the environment and people while still being efficient in egg production.”
Hector says that once the farm implemented HFAC’s animal welfare standards and saw how easily the laying hens adapted to their new aviary, they knew they were making the right decision and trusted the Certified Humane® practices would contribute to the overall welfare of their laying hens.
“We can see the impact on the hens every day,” says Hector. “We are raising happy animals that are free to express their natural behaviors, like stretching their wings, scratching, perching and nesting. Our farm is proof that you can raise Certified Humane® laying hens and not impact production parameters.”
Hector says, “More and more news stories, books, films, and reports draw attention to how farm animals should be treated. As a result, consumers want products from animals that are humanely-raised. The Certified Humane ® label identifies our products for businesses and consumers looking for those products… Being Certified Humane® is good for our business, our animals and our customers.”
Posted: March 4, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Tecnovo SA
Tecnovo S.A. – Crespo, Entre Ríos, Argentina
Tecnovo S.A. is committed to using Certified Humane® eggs to produce their liquid and powdered egg products, which are then sold to food manufacturing companies to be used in the production of foods such as mayonnaise, pasta, puddings, sweetbreads, pastries, and cookies. This means that Tecnovo S.A. only sources Certified Humane® eggs before moving them along in the supply chain to large food manufacturers.
“The Certified Humane® movement has had an enormous impact on the growth of global food chains, especially as they apply in Latin America,” says Luiz Mazzon, Director-General for Certified Humane® Latin America. “More and more companies are considering animal welfare when choosing their supplier of animal ingredients. The Certified Humane® program is innovative because it allows the use of the label even by companies that do not raise or handle animals directly, but are committed to using Certified Humane® products.” The philosophy of Tecnovo S.A. founders was to create a value chain that enhances the natural resources of the area, incorporating skilled labor and appropriate technology to enable it to access the food producers worldwide.
Tecnovo S.A. also guarantees the quality of the products by working under GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) standards with food certification systems FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification) for continuous improvement of the food safety management system with the aim of ensuring the supply of safe food to consumers.
Posted: March 4, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Liang Kee Farming
Liang Kee Farming, Perak, Malaysia
Liang Kee Farming, like most traditional laying hen farms, had always used conventional caged systems to produce eggs. However, around three years ago, Tan Leng Yee, the businesses’ manager and a third generation family farmer, started to change the laying hen management system. A part of the farm, located in the city of Kampar, state of Perak, Malaysia, produces close to 300 thousand eggs per day. Here Tan began to adopt a free-range system with a small portion of the birds, raised without cages, in two houses on the farm. Laying hens have free access to an outside range for at least 6 hours per day depending on the weather conditions.This pilot production at Liang Kee Farming meets all the requirements for cage free free-range systems. Laying hens here are Free-range and receive a minimum outdoor space requirement of 0.19 sqm per bird (5.2 birds per sqm) to meet the Humane Farm Animal Care Standards.Healthier and Happier Birds
Like many other producers, Tan heard about the Certified Humane® label while researching egg production. He always wanted to differentiate his production from the traditional ones. That was when he realized that he needed to invest in quality regardless of the quantity. “We farmers see a lot of chemicals, antibiotics, and growth hormones being used to increase production at the lowest costs. I always told my children and relatives avoid this type of product. On my farm, we use the best feed ingredients for animals,” says Tan.
Liang Kee Farming Values Animal Welfare
On the laying hen farm, employees receive proper training and Tan makes sure to guarantee that they are happy with their work. “This is the best ingredient to create animal welfare. Happy employees have happier attitudes… and the result is happier chickens.”
The pilot production at Liang Kee Farming is still small but it has a large growth potential. “I am happy to receive the Certified Humane label. HFAC is aligned with the philosophy of my company, since we both believe that animal welfare achieves larger production and profits. I am pretty sure that the eggs on my farm stand out among the rest,” concludes Tan.
Posted: September 20, 2018 by Certified Humane®
First Light
First Light leading the charge on animal welfare: becomes first New Zealand meat company to earn Certified Humane® status
First Light has become the first New Zealand meat company to be awarded internationally recognised Certified Humane® accreditation, another milestone in the business’ continued commitment to animal welfare.
Certified Humane® is a recognised global animal welfare standard administered by Humane Farm Animal Care, the US’s leading non-profit certification organisation dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production, from birth to slaughter.
“The goal of the programme is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. We are encouraged that a New Zealand meat company is taking animal welfare seriously. The extreme need for improvement in farm animal welfare is a global challenge we at Certified Humane® are prepared to help address,” says Humane Farm Animal Care’s chief operating officer Mimi Stein.
“When consumers see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label, they are assured that the food product has come from a facility that meets precise standards for farm animal treatment, including the quality of feed, the absence of sub-therapeutic antibiotics or growth hormones and environmental considerations such as the animal never being kept in a cage, crate or stall. Additionally, the processors must comply with the American Meat Institute standards, a slaughter standard written by world renown scientist Dr Temple Grandin,” she adds.
For First Light, the certification is another step in ensuring animal welfare remains its priority across the entire grass-fed Wagyu supply chain, from breeding to processing.
“We have always prided ourselves on not cutting corners and doing things right. We decided to align with Certified Humane® because we wanted a peer review of our animal husbandry standards. We also like the fact that it is grounded in care for the animal, while recognising the practical aspects of life on the farm,” says First Light director Jason Ross.
“It is also essential to have accreditation to supply major US customers and also for our retail consumers. The benefit for consumers is that they can buy with confidence, knowing the meat, poultry, egg and dairy products come from animals who have been raised humanely without overcrowding in confinement systems and without unnecessary antibiotics. It’s better for the animals, the environment and the farmers who receive a fair price for their efforts.”
To earn Certified Humane® status, an audit was conducted on a selection of First Light farms and processing facilities across the country. To uphold the standards, annual inspections will be held by specialist scientists and veterinarians.
For more information, please visit their website www.firstlight.farm
Posted: September 6, 2018 by Certified Humane®
NestFresh
In the early years, NestFresh Eggs were produced and sold exclusively in Colorado, but soon they became Colorado’s favorite eggs, so they set out to offer their eggs across the country. They wanted to spread the NestFresh mission of providing more people with locally produced eggs and more hens with happy cage free lives. To do so, they partnered with regional, family-owned farms to produce and supply farm fresh NestFresh Eggs in a local system.
Now NestFresh produces Certified Humane®, USDA Organic, and Non-GMO Project verified eggs at family farms all over the country—from California to Texas to Pennsylvania. Each family farm in the NestFresh network is a business that shares NestFresh’s commitment to animal welfare and stewardship of the land. This network of family farms benefits farmers, communities, and the environment. The farms are able to provide jobs within local communities, support other local businesses, and reduce their impact on the environment.
The Certified Humane® logo that NestFresh proudly bears ensures that each farm meets the same high standards for laying hen welfare. These farmers give their birds the healthy, humane lives they deserve.
NestFresh is part of the Certified Humane program because they believe that the statements on their cartons are more than empty marketing claims. NestFresh relies on experts to validate the humane aspects of their animal husbandry practices. Their products include Cage Free, Free Range, and Pasture Raised Eggs.
For more information about NestFresh farms and products as well as recipes visit www.NestFresh.com.
Posted: August 16, 2018 by Certified Humane®
Nature’s Yoke
Nature’s Yoke Organic, Legacy, and Omega-3 Free-Range eggs are 100% Certified Humane® and produced by a four-generation, family-run business which began in 1963 and is located in New Holland, Pa. With the mission of supporting local farmers and investing in the local community, Nature’s Yoke is committed to sustainable farming, the ethical treatment of animals, and good stewardship and innovation.
nature’s yoke Legacy Free-range eggs:
Nature’s Yoke Legacy Free-Range hens are raised on Certified Humane® family farms, which means there are no cages and the hens have access to outdoor spaces for at least 6 hours per day. Except, of course, when it’s very cold or very hot outside. When hens are indoors, they get the extra special care that Certified Humane® requires including roomy nesting boxes, places to perch, dust-bathe, and no overcrowding. These days, more and more consumers are aware of how hens are raised at conventional farms, and, as a result, have decided to buy only free-range eggs. These consumers have made it clear they care about the humane treatment of animals but they also need to balance how much they spend on eggs against other things their family needs. Nature’s Yoke Legacy Free-Range Eggs provide that balance because the hens that are lovingly cared for and meet all the requirements of Certified Humane® — without the extra cost of pasture-raised or organic.
nature’s yoke Organic free-range eggs:
Nature’s Yoke Organic Free-Range Eggs are USDA Certified Organic. Raised on small family farms with lots of space to roam, organic free-range hens are fed an all-organic, non-GMO diet. Additionally, Nature’s Yoke organic free-range farms are Certified Humane® so both the hens and the organic free-range brown eggs they lay are cared for at the highest standard.
NAture’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs:
All eggs contain some Omega-3, but Nature’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs give you and your family even more of the Omega-3 benefits doctors and other health and wellness professionals have been talking about for decades. Just like Nature’s Yoke Legacy and Organic eggs, their Omega-3 Free-Range hens live on Certified Humane® family farms where they have access to outdoor range areas for at least 6 hours per day, weather permitting, and are able to engage in natural behaviors at all times. Simply put, Nature’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs are an easy and delicious way to get more Omega-3 into your diet.
To learn more, visit their website at: www.naturesyoke.com
Posted: August 2, 2018 by Certified Humane®
La Granja Gallinas Libres
La Granja Gallinas Libres now is Certified Humane®
As part of its philosophy, the company is dedicated to a high ethical standard of egg production and animal welfare observance as well as compliance with sanitary requirements, biosecurity and food safety regulations. “We want to reinforce to our customers and consumers our commitment to sustainable and responsible egg production,” the company says.
When founded almost 80 years ago, the company produced feed for farm animals. Forty years later, they expanded their operations to produce eggs. Moreover, they were the first farm in Chile to import specific genetic lines of laying hens for egg production.
In 2006, the Group acquired La Granja Ltda., a company exclusively dedicated to the production, processing and commercialization of eggs and egg products. In 2013, due to changes in the poultry industry, specifically related to production systems, it decided to be a pioneer in the production and marketing of eggs coming from these cage-free alternative systems. Adopting this alternative cage-free housing meant their laying hens could engage in their natural behaviors, like flapping their wings and perching, in a comfortable and protected environment. In new state-of-the-art aviaries equipped with automated collection systems, modern climate controls for optimum ventilation and thermal protection, Certified Humane® standards are easily met which improve the lives and comfort of the birds.
Motivated by the growing demand for food produced in a sustainable and animal welfare responsible way, the company started marketing its first cage-free eggs under the brand “La Granja Gallinas Libres” (LGGL) in 2013.
In 2018, La Granja joined the Certified Humane® program to show consumers their deep commitment to farm animal welfare and mission to provide a sustainable, responsible and humane environment for their laying hens .
“They understood that consumers drive this market and are demanding that eggs come from cage-free hens,” says Luiz Mazzon, Director of Instituto Certified Humane Brasil. “While La Granja adopted the cage-free system several years ago, it will be the Certified Humane® label on their egg cartons that will give consumers the reassurances that all aspects of the hen’s care, from housing and feeding to light and air quality, are being met every day on their farms.”
La Granja provides on-going and frequent staff training on care for the birds which has resulted in generating a bond between the laying hens and the workers. The company believes the welfare of their workers, their birds and the environment are all fundamental. Their mission is to maintain sustainable production, respect health standards, while utilizing the best cage-free systems available in the industry.
La Granja Gallinas Libres is available in four main supermarket chains with the broad coverage nationwide. They also are meeting the growing interest of food manufacturers who wish to use cage-free eggs as an ingredient in other egg products.
To learn more, visit their website at: www.la-granja.cl.
Posted: June 20, 2018 by Certified Humane®
Avícola Coliumo
Avícola Coliumo, San Carlos, Chillán, Chile
Avícola Coliumo raises 30,000 Certified Humane® hens on a 1,300 hectare egg farm in San Carlos, Chillán, Chile. The farm got its start in 1962 by Don Patrico Reyes, the father of the current owner, Felipe Reyes. Reyes remembers the early days, working alongside his dad and taking care of their 100-bird flock.
At 24, Reyes took over some of the farm’s management, which had grown from 100 to 15,000 hens. “In the beginning, we had the help of local workers, many of whom still work with us today,” says Reyes. “Little by little, we automated our system to improve the quality of care for the hens.”
Over the years, Avícola Coliumo has set the standard in Chile for implementing state-of-the-art technology in all stages of the egg-laying process, from sowing grains and feeding the hens to selecting and packaging eggs that are distributed from the Santiago Metropolitan area to the Lakes region.
Today, Reyes and his two daughters, Javiera and Antonia Reyes, are the third generation to operate the farm, along with 130 employees, many of who have been working on the farm since it was formed. Antonia, a veterinarian, wanted to see the hens free of their cages, so traveled to the U.S. and Europe to learn about the various multi-level cage-free aviary systems.
In 2018, she brought the new cage-free multi-level aviary system to Avícola Coliumo – the first such system in South America – to better provide for the hens’ natural behaviors. Some of the new additions included perches so the hens can roost, wood chip beds that allow the hens to dust bathe and scratch, and nests, which stimulate pre-laying and egg laying behaviors, Reyes says. The new line of cage-free eggs, called “La Castellana,” fits with the farm’s goal of providing a better quality of life for their hens.
“We believe that our birds deserve respectful treatment, since they are sentient beings just like us,” says Reyes. “When they cannot perform certain natural behaviors, they feel frustrated, which is detrimental to their welfare. By providing them with a cage-free aviary, we can support their natural behaviors.”
Once the cage-free aviary was in place, Reyes applied to Certified Humane® for certification. “I learned about Certified Humane® during a trip to the USA to learn about aviary systems,” says Reyes. “This organization has such great reach and relevance in the aviary industry in terms of animal welfare. When I read their Animal Care Standards, I realized they promoted animal welfare in an excellent way and gave us benchmarks, so we could properly manage our hens in a more humane way.”
Avícola Coliumo doesn’t just have the first multi-level aviary system in South America, but it also has solar panels, which supply 100% of the energy for the cage-free production. “We are measuring our carbon footprint and are the first laying hens farm in Chile to do so,” says Reyes.
The cage-free eggs will be sold in the HORECA channel: Hotels, Restaurants and Casinos, as well as at Walmart and other supermarket chains. For more information, visit www.huevoslacastellana.com.
To learn more, visit their website at: http://huevoscoliumo.cl/
Posted: May 10, 2018 by Certified Humane®
Teton Waters Ranch, Loveland, Colorado
Teton Waters Ranch produces 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, fully cooked beef products, including sausages, meatballs and frankfurters. Founded on a ranch in the Teton Valley of Idaho in 2009, and now based in Loveland, Colorado, Teton Waters Ranch has grown to become a leading brand of 100% grass-fed beef in the U.S.
Nearly fifteen years ago, Teton Waters Ranch founder, Jeff Russell, acquired land in Idaho that once held an industrial potato farm. With a passion for the west and environmental conservation, Russell set out to restore the farm’s depleted fields with regenerative cattle grazing to restore the soil. He planted native grasses and grazed those grasses with cattle that naturally fertilized the soil and created a system that is both sustainable and healthy.
Today, Teton Waters Ranch works with thousands of cattle ranches in the U.S. and around the world and is leading them to all become Certified Humane®. “We work at improving our company every day,” says Jeff Tripician, CEO at Teton Waters Ranch. “Certified Humane® is something we strongly believe in, so it’s important to us to work with ranches who share our belief that third party verification and rigorous protocols are incredibly valuable to everything we do and to our food system overall. Ultimately, the Certified Humane® program protocols, which are strongly aligned with the mission of Teton Waters Ranch, are what allow us to create the best tasting, highest quality, grass fed and finished beef available.”
“Together, Teton Waters Ranch and the Certified Humane® logo reassure our customers that our claims are indeed valid,” says Tripician. “Our philosophy and goal is to have a comprehensive grass fed beef solution that is better for people, better for the animals and better for the planet,” added Tripician, “and we can achieve that with programs like Certified Humane®.”
Teton Waters Ranch is working to increase availability of and consumer demand for grass-fed beef. Retail sales of grass-fed beef in the U.S. has doubled each year since 2013, growing at 101 percent per year, with Teton Waters Ranch leading growth in their product categories.
Teton Waters Ranch’s redesigned packaging boasts the Certified Humane® label, which means all ranches that supply beef to Teton Waters Ranch raise cattle and operate in accordance with Certified Humane® standards. For more information, please visit Teton Waters Ranch
Find Teton Waters Ranch products in grocery stores across the US by visiting the product locator at certifiedhumane.org/ shop/ or by downloading the free mobile app certifiedhumane.org/download-our-mobile-app/.